A passport can be issued within 24hours of loss at the closest US Embassy, especially if you have a copy of the first page, which they are required to give to production since their passports get stamped with all the visiting country visas + more.

I don't know how the Russian visa-end will work because I know Russia is VERY VERY STRICT with the Visas but I am sure with production in tow and it being a race the Russian gov't may be lenient.

EDIT:Sponsorship: Under Russian law, every foreign traveler must have a Russian-based sponsor, which could be a hotel, tour company, relative, employer, university, etc. Even if a visa was obtained through a travel agency in the United States, there is always a Russian legal entity whose name is indicated on the visa and who is considered to be the legal sponsor. Russian law requires that the sponsor must apply on the traveler's behalf for replacement, extension, or changes to a Russian visa. U.S. citizens are strongly advised to ensure that they have contact information for the visa sponsor prior to arrival in Russia, as the sponsor's assistance will be essential to resolve any visa problems.

Dan & Andrew marching was pure comedy gold! I think I would've been in stitches along with the Russian soldiers if I'd been there! As it was, I was really chuckling a lot, with occasional slips into outright laughter!

Yeah, Dandrew got new shoes -- and it really hurt them!

I wonder who gets the U-Turn this leg. It might be Nick & Starr, but if they're in the lead, I'd bet they U-Turned Ken & Tina. Of course if Ken & Tina finish in last but a team loses their money & passports (like Dandrew), that might not matter to the separated couple.

And based on phil's speech in leg three there is at least one other U-Turn on the race. He states how you can use the power of the U-Turn only once on the race, and teams need to decided when its the best time to use it.

ANd it isn't voice over from the previous year. You see him stating it in the clothes and locations used for the first u_turn.

I do think they wouldn't include it on the next leg unless 1. The producers are evil....

2. the speedbump took place after the detour (so far that hasn't been the case its been before the roadblock and detour).

So I would assume that it happened on another leg and either more important stuff happened, it was used on a team so incredible far behind that it wasn't necessary to show, or no one used it.

Of course, there is always the YIELD which we haven't seen for awhile.

Did you notice that as the teams received their next clue from the baker woman they also were holding a square package with brown paper and string. Shots after the bakery also showed the team holding the package. But when they arrived at the pit stop it was gone. Wonder if the teams had to go someplace else to deliver the package before they went on to the pit stop. But we never where shown this.